5 Excellent Natural Wildlife Places In Ireland Not To Be Missed
“Some old fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”- Laura Ingalls Wilder
The freedom of enjoying nature even gave wings to William Wordsworth. Certainly, nature revives your senses. Hence, why not visit some of the charming landscapes with a plethora of natural wildlife sceneries in Ireland?
(Also read: 5 Famous Stone Circles in Ireland: Echoes of Ireland’s Enigmatic Past)
Situated on the periphery of Europe, Ireland is a little island renowned for its remarkable natural splendour. With more than 50 types of land and sea animals, 400 bird species, 12,000 variations of insects and even 4,000 planet species, the island is considered a haven for native animal wildlife magnificence.
Read on to learn about five excellent natural wildlife spots in Ireland that need a sure shot visit once in a lifetime.
5 Idyllic Natural Wildlife Spots in Ireland
- Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo is one of the finest spots for natural wildlife in Ireland. The zoo was inaugurated in 1831 and is still home to innumerable wildlife beasts that opened its gate for over one million visitors a year. The learning and discovery continue for all age groups, earning the top spot in Ireland’s wildlife attractions.
Dublin Zoo is stretched over a gigantic 28 hectares of area. Giving animals a land that is close to native wildlife in Ireland helps their fostering of social grouping. Giant apes, tigers, golden lions, elephants, rhinos, African wild dogs and amphibians remain the spotlight of the zoo.
With the help of professional anatomists, physicists and wildlife care experts, the habitat, diet, genetics and animal health are taken care of with extremely gentle care. A strict code of conduct is followed with the collaboration of the European and Global Association to give the visitors a sight to behold!
- National Reptile Zoo
The only reptile zoo in Ireland is stationed in Kilkenny. It spreads on 50 acres of land- quite big for the reptile ecosystem to flourish in a healthy way. It could be your next picnic spot; with the reptiles and your family.
It has 100 variants of reptiles and more than 50 species for everyone to have a look at. Tortoises, turtles, alligators, pythons, lizards, tarantulas, snakes etc- all under one and only roof. Engaging and interacting with the natural wildlife in Ireland could never be more bewitching with some amphibians and invertebrates that you only saw in books or on television.
It opens up at 10 am till 6 pm. Visitors enjoy meeting the animals and kids love touching the reptiles under great supervision of the animal experts. There are education rooms, a coffee shop, a play area, a media room, an animal encounter zone, a souvenir shop and a nocturnal realm for the guests.
- Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium
Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium is Ireland’s largest aquarium to date. It is located along the marina in Dingle, at The Wood, County Kerry. You can find the best sea native wildlife in Ireland if you have spotted this place.
Visitors enjoy butterflies, fish, otters, gentoo penguins, Humboldt penguins, and sharks. 3m long tiger sharks, piranhas and even the clownfish- you name it- all add colours to the sea life of Ireland.
Since it is also a research and conservation centre, Dingle has state-of-the-art aquarium facilities for the animals so that safety for the visitors could be ensured for a never-ending fun. Children are greatly delighted by watching underwater species and are pleasantly surprised by the penguin feeding and other kids’ interactive activities.
- Fota Wildlife Park
How fascinating it would be to see a kangaroo hopping around you as if he is your friend! This is an experience to cherish with your family in Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland- the second largest tourist attraction in Ireland.
Fota Wildlife Park is situated on the picturesque Fota island at Cork Harbour, 10 kilometres from Cork City. It is spread on up to 100 acres of land to give the native wildlife of Ireland a place like home. It caters to around 460,000 visitors on an annual basis.
The park commits to the conservation of wild animals in Ireland with high biodiversity knowledge. Fota Park has made huge investments for the past decade in research and education to enhance public understanding of global biodiversity and animal or plant habitats.
Some of the great attractions inside the park include Sumatran tigers, Indian rhinos, Madagascan village, indoor Giraffe viewing area and the Asian sanctuary that opened in 2015. The most entertaining activities for kids are their interactions with the wild animals like feeding the penguins and caring for animals, what goes on in the giraffe house and how Cheetah run works.
- The Cliffs of Moher
Visitors in Ireland absolutely love this place. It comprises an entire 2500-kilometre length of the Wild Atlantic Way. This perfect wildlife spotting land for the bird watchers has been categorised as “Ireland’s Best Visitor Attraction” in The Irish Independent annual Reader Travel Awards for the year 2023.
The native wildlife in Ireland including some of the greatest birds flying all over the place, dolphins, seals, sharks, and a few humpback whales, are a scene to enjoy. The cliff hangings let you take in the soothing sounds of the sea waves crashing into the rocks. The smell of soft shale and sandstone with a view of the sky and water all around gives a magnificent experience.
Starting from early Spring and continuing till late Summer, visitors can see more than 30 different species of birds. It is a glorious sight when the deafening sounds of the birds whirling around you with a combination of sea waves become an orchestra of the natural wildlife in Ireland that is unmissable.
Conclusion
If you want to enjoy red deer sightings, check out the dolphins in the sea, mammoth elephants taking a walk while you pass by them, or some snakes slithering on the trees, it is strongly recommended to visit the above enlisted natural wildlife places in Ireland.
There seems to be no end to the countless collections of wild animals in Ireland. Revive all of your five senses with alluring landscapes, flora, fauna and wildlife wonders for your brain’s memory bank.
